CHAPTER 6

Harry Potter couldn't believe his eyes. When the doors of the Great Hall open and all the new students came in, there, in front of everyone, leading the troop was no other than the woman of the station, Ginny Weasley.

No matter how much he tried, it was impossible to move his gaze away from the witch. He only did it when he felt somebody sitting next to him. It was his old Gryffindor housemate, Neville Longbottom. He had changed so much. He was no longer the chubby, skittish kid, now he gave the impression of a man sure of himself, though he still had that same amicable smile.

"Hello, I'm Neville Longbottom, I teach Herbology" he introduced himself. "You must be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher"

"That's right, I'm James Vans. A pleasure to meet you."

"You seem a little bit nervous but, don't worry, I too was my first day here. I remember I vomited just before my first class, the students were arriving to the classroom. It was embarrassing." Neville commented scrunching his nose. However, Harry was not nervous because of his first day, he had already teach to many of his fellow classmates in his fifth year, he had been the leader of Dumbledore's Army. No, Harry was nervous because of that woman, the one that he had loved so much, the one he had never forgotten about. He didn't know if she had recognised him at the train station. If there was someone who could figure out his true self it has to be Ginny Weasley and he wasn't sure he wanted that.

"Thanks, I hope that doesn't happen to me."

"Don't worry, those kind of stuff seem to just occur to me." with that Harry couldn't help but smile and think how right his old friend was. He remembered all those years ago, it was always Neville who had those kinds of problems, like the time he fell of his broomstick on the first day of flying classes.

Ginny started calling the new students, Harry wished it would be fast, his stomach was growling of hunger. He was happy when he heard his godson's name and school house, he had been sure he would get into Hufflepuff.

Harry was surprised when the name Emma Nott was called and a young witch so alike Ginny came to the Sorting Hat's stool. He was astonished when Ginny fiercely hug her when the Hat yelled "Gryffindor", it was obvious that had to be her daughter. She was the vivid image of Ginny, with her flaming hair and typical Weasley's freckles. The only difference between the two ladies were the eyes, Emma's were of a beautiful emerald green colour.

"Oh! So that's Ginny's oldest child, I haven't seen her since she was like five years old. And I'm her godfather!" said Neville at his side.

"Why not?" asked a curious Harry. Neville had been one of the redhead's best friends when they were younger. He thought it was weird that those two hadn't seen each other for so long, even more considering Ginny's sociable nature.

"Ginny used to live in Bulgaria, and I working here didn't leave me much time to travel, and she also had her own job. And, I don't know, we lost contact. Since around seven years ago, nobody knew a thing about her, her husband or kids. Her parents and brothers were really worried but it was impossible to get in touch with the Notts. She came back to England just a few weeks ago, Theodore, her husband, seems to have disappeared."

"Wow… that's weird" muttered Harry the moment Thomas Nott was being hugged by his mother. "That's her son, right?"

"Yes, the second one. And that little one on her side must be her last one. In fact I don't know her. I only met Thomas and, as I already told you, Emma. Though, they have grown a lot since then."

Finally, the Ceremony got to an end and Ginny vanish the Hat and the stool. With Haley by her side, she went to the teacher table and sat next to her old friend, who gave her a huge hug.

"Ginny! I can't believe you're here! It's been so long!"

"How are you, Nev? This is my youngest, Haley, she is four now" Ginny introduced her daughter, who had sat herself on top of her mother's legs.

"Hello gorgeous, are you one of the new students?" joked Neville with a sweet smile making her laugh.

"No! I'm four! My mommy says I have to have be more taller and more bigger like Em and Tommy and then I can study here." Haley answered between giggles.

"Oh! Ginny, this is James Vans, he too is new here, he'll be teaching DADA" told her Neville introducing the man next to him. Ginny recognised him as the man with blonde hair and blue eyes she had seen that morning at Kings Cross station. "James, this is Ginevra Weasley, no, sorry, it's Nott."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Nott" he said bowing his head.

"Ginny, call me Ginny, everybody does."

"Then call me James" Ginny looked him right to the eyes and had the same sensation that she had that morning. She knew that gaze, somehow they weren't the same eyes but, that was the exact same look of fifteen years ago. She felt it through her body. That man had to be Harry Potter and she was not going to stop until he admitted it. She had to talk to him.

"So, James, what's your relationship with Edward Lupin? I saw you at Kings Cross."

"I adopted him" he calmly anwered.

"That's odd! How did you do it? As far as I knew, baby Lupin had gone missing just a few days after the war ended so many years ago, so have his grandmother, Andromeda Tonks. Nobody knew what had happened. Many though they were killed by some loose death eaters."

"Well, I don't know about that part of the story. I adopted him at the USA, Teddy was five years old and her grandmother had just died." Harry had planned those answers a while ago, when he decided coming back to England.

"USA? What were you doing there? Your accent is clearly British."

"Yes, I was born here, but I've been living there for more than a decade. I used to be the Auror Chief, that's why I was able to get this job."

"Interesting."

"What about you? What did you used to do for a living before coming here?" asked Harry eager to know more about his ex-girlfriend's life.

"For some years now I'm dedicated to my kids, my home and my husband. I used to play professional Quidditch, since Emma was born 'till around six years after that. I played for 'Burgas Eagles', I was a chaser."

"Yeah, Ginny is a great player. In fact, she played for the Gryffindor Quidditch team when she was a student. She started as a seeker, replacing Harry Potter, and then she played as a chaser. She even got to be the captain in her sixth year." contributed Neville, proud of his friend.

"Were the 'Burgas Eagles' any good? I don't follow Bulgaria's league."

"They were great, the best team on the league. I actually played with Viktor Krum my first two years, but then he went to the 'Pyce Wonders', it was a great experience." answered Ginny with a nostalgic smile on her face. Those were one of the happiest times of her life. It had been before Theodore started doing stuff he shouldn't have. The first years of their marriage had been amazing, maybe too good to be true, to be real.

"Have you never thought of playing here?"

"My life and Theodore's was in Bulgaria. I was called by the National English Team but, it was when I found out I was pregnant with my second child, with Thomas."

"The Holyhead Harpies wanted her at all cost, they even once took the whole team to Bulgaria just so that Ginny would comprehend what playing with them was like." told him Neville making Ginny blush.

"Really? I can't believe you didn't take their offer! An old friend of mine would have given absolutely everything to be able to play for them, her favourite team." Harry commented and Ginny sent him a weird look. He knew it had been her biggest dream and couldn't understand why she had declined.

"Well, yeah, it wasn't the best moment for that" she said feeling uncomfortable.

"Mommy, I'm sleepy, I wan' to go to bed" spoke Haley, she had been eating everything she saw in front of her.

"Okay, Hales, let's get going" Ginny lift her in her arms and the little girls started snoring as soon as her head leaned on her mom's shoulders.

After saying her goodbyes, Ginny went to the room McGonagall had assigned for her. It was located on the seventh floor, not that far away from Gryffindor's Common Room, but just hidden enough that it would call wandering students' attention. The door was behind a tapestry and it only open with the password Bananas, which was easy enough for Haley t pronounce and remember.

The place had a little living room and two bedroom with their own bathrooms, one for each Nott. It was just what Ginny needed.